One of a flurry of recent hotel openings in Belfast, the AC Hotel by Marriott enjoys an attractive waterside location at Belfast Harbour's City Quays development, just across the river from the Titantic Centre. Although initially a little bare, the exterior is softening as the development fills in - meanwhile it makes the smart interior and river views (and extensive outdoor bar/restaurant seating) all the more surprising and pleasing on a first visit.
The reception area - a calm and pleasant place to arrive, with welcoming staff - blends into an open plan seating area (a comfortable spot for meeting friends, small business get togethers or just relaxing), and then comes the bar and open plan restaurant, Novelli at City Quays (see below) where all tables have a harbour view.
This is one of the city's biggest hotels, and Northern Ireland's first AC Hotel by Marriott is also the first of the group's famously contemporary design-led properties to be purpose-built in the UK. Large expanses of glass emphasise the sense of space in the bright and airy public areas and guest rooms - and even the smart modern loos make an impressive design statement.
The smartly-dressed, well-trained and very friendly staff make an equally good impression from the moment of arrival - and, of course, the hotel offers all the 'signature AC Marriott guest services', including gym, library, meeting facilities and an AC Lounge.
Novelli at City Quays
The first restaurant in Ireland to bear the name of the celebrated London chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, it is very much a smart-casual destination and carefully designed to work equally well for informal hotel meals, including breakfast, as well as providing a special evening dining destination - which, thanks to the calibre of team working with the excellent Head Chef, Cathal Duncan, and the pleasing setting, should be an outstanding experience.
There's a focus on customer service from the get-go, with arriving diners being walked to the restaurant by a welcoming staff member and then seated by a restaurant host. Minimalistic table setting sport knives and forks set on pristine white linen napkins, with a wine and water glass at each setting and copper salt and pepper pots adding a splash of colour
Staff are friendly and efficient, promptly delivering menus, drinks and complimentary bread and butter to the table - so far so simple, but it's the kind of service that gets a meal off to the best possible start, and chill out music creates a relaxed atmosphere too.
The theme is officially Mediterranean and you could certainly pursue it (beginning with Flatbread and Meze Dip, for example, followed by Tuna Nicoise...) but there's plenty else to choose from, including a special section on burgers and steaks. While there isn't a great sense of local provenance on the main menu, the renowned Hannan Meats are mentioned - and other local producers including Yellow Door Bakery and Abernethy Butter are credited on the Afternoon Tea menu.
Menus include a dedicated vegetarian/vegan menu and a good children's men and they are kept up to date on the Novelli website (http://www.novellirestaurants.co.uk/belfast/). In general what you can expect is food that is cooked to perfection and presented in a style that is simple yet pleasing to the eye, thanks to the high standard of cooking by executive chef, Jim Mulholland, and his team. As well as the very tempting range of meat dishes, fish and fresh vegetables are especially noteworthy.
A wine list that is well chosen to match the food encourages wine pairing, with glasses in several sizes available as well as half bottles of some wines - and some local beers and spirits are offered too.
Service throughout is attentive without being intrusive and the attention to detail makes the experience feel special. All round a great place for a relaxed dinner or a romantic date, with plenty to offer for everyone from the really hungry to the health conscious.
